Unit 118. As if / as though / like

You can use as if or as though to say how somebody or something looks/sounds/feels: • That house looks as if it's going to fall down.• Helen sounded as if she had a cold, didn't she?• I've just come back from holiday, but I feel very tired. I don't feel as if I've just had a holiday.
You can use as though in all these examples:• I don't feel as though I've just had a holiday.

In informal spoken English you can also use like:• That house looks like it's going to fall down.

Compare:• You look tired. (look + adjective)
You look as if you haven't slept. (look as if + subject + verb)

You can say It looks as if ... / It sounds as if ... : • Sandra is very late, isn't she? It looks as if she isn't coming.• We took an umbrella because it looked as if it was going to rain.• Do you hear that music next door? It sounds as if they are having a party.

You can also use as though or like:• It looks as though she isn't coming. or It looks like she isn't coming.

You can use as if or as though with other verbs to say how somebody does something:

• He ran as if he was running for his life.• After the interruption, the speaker went on talking as if nothing had happened.• When I told them my plan, they looked at me as though I was mad.
In informal spoken English, you can also use like in these examples.

After as if(or as though), we sometimes use the past when we are talking about the present. For example:• I don't like Tim. He talks as if he knew everything.
The meaning is not past in this sentence. We use the past (as if he knew) because the idea is not real: Tim does not know everything. We use the past in the same way in if sentences and after wish (see Unit 39).
Some more examples:• She's always asking me to do things for her - as if I didn't have enough to do already. (I do have enough to do)• Gary's only 40. Why do you talk about him as if he was an old man? (he isn't an old man)
When you use the past in this way, you can use were instead of was:• Why do you talk about him as if he were (or was) an old man?• They treat me as if I were (or was)their own son. (I'm not their son)

1 You meet Bill. He has a black eye and some plasters on his face. (be / a fight)
You say to him: You look as if you've been in a flight.
2 Christine comes into the room. She looks absolutely terrified. (see / a ghost)
You say to her: What's the matter? You ______________________________
3 Joe is on holiday. He's talking to you on the phone and sounds very happy. (enjoy / yourself)
You say to him: You ________________________________________________
4 You have just run one kilometre. You are absolutely exhausted. (run / a marathon)
You say to a friend: I ______________________________________________

you should see a doctor there's been an accident they are having an argument
it's going to rain she isn't coming we'll have to walk

1 Sandra said she would be here an hour ago.
You say: It looks as if she isn't coming.
2 The sky is full of black clouds.
You say: It _____________________________
3 You hear two people shouting at each other next door.
You say: ________________________________
4 You see an ambulance, some policemen and two damaged cars at the side of the road.
You say: ________________________________
5 You and a friend have just missed the last bus home.
You say: ________________________________
6 Dave isn't feeling well. He tells you all about it.
You say: ________________________________

she / enjoy / it I / go / be sick he / not / eat / for a weekhe / need / a good rest she / hurt / her leg he / mean / what he / say
I / not / exist she / not / want / come

1 Mark looks very tired.
He looks as if he needs a good rest .
2 I don't think Paul was joking.
He looked ___________________________.
3 What's the matter with Liz?
She's walking ___________________________.
4 Peter was extremely hungry and ate his dinner very quickly.
He ate ___________________________.
5 Caroline had a bored expression on her face during the concert.
She didn't look ___________________________.
6 I've just eaten too many chocolates. Now I don't feel well.
I feel ___________________________.
7 I phoned Liz and invited her to the party, but she wasn't very enthusiastic about it.
She sounded ___________________________.
8 I went into the office, but nobody spoke to me or looked at me.
Everybody ignored me ___________________________.

1 Brian is a terrible driver. He drives as if he were the only driver on the road.
2 I'm 20 years old, so please don't talk to me _______________ I _______________ a child.
3 Steve has never met Nicola, but he talks about her _______________ his best friend.
4 It was a long time ago that we first met, but I remember it _______________ yesterday.